Knitted fabric and method



'3, 5, 1, etc.

Patented Mar. 31, 1942 2,278,154 KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD William L. Smith, Jr., Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Hemphill Company, CentralvFalls, R. I., a

corporation of Massachusetts Application July 27, 1939, Serial No. 286,856

l Claims.

This case involves a fabric and method of knitting as employed in making elastic hosiery tops, and wherein it is desired to produce a substantial top f ree from curling and rolling.

In the figures of drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view greatly enlarged, showing in a conventional way the stitch structure of a section of the fabric; and

Fig. 2 is a conventional showing of a half hose wherein the invention has been applied.

In elastic hosiery tops such as are knitted on circular, seamless hosiery machines, some dfculty is experienced in knitting a substantial appearing edge and one which will be fairly resistant to curling, either as cast from themachine or sold on the counter, and also resistant against rolling when worn. Briefly the invention is applied to that type of elastic top in which an elastic yarn is incorporated at spaced wales and either in spaced courses or in adjacent courses to form an imitation rib top. The edge is .preferably knitted with a selvage resulting from incorporation of the elastic yarn, although other selvages may be employed. Closely adjacent the selvage tuck stitches are to be knitted on spaced needles, preferably those needles on which the elastic yarn is not knitted or otherwise incorporated in the fabric. These tuck stitches may be very closely adjacent the selvage or a few courses of fabric in which no tuck stitches are made may follow the selvage before the first courses of tuck loops are knitted. Thereafter tuck courses may be knitted to follow in rapid sequence,A that is, with only a minimum number of courses of untucked material between each group of courses in which tuck stitches are formed, or the tuck courses may be more widely separated. Varying numbers of these tuck courses may be knitted and the exact number will depend upon the tendency to curl or roll inherent in the fabric, or upon the appearance de y sired in the finished article.

Referring to Fig. l, a section of fabric is shown knittedaccording to one preferred form of .the invention. In that form of the invention an elastic yarn i is first taken on every other needle being drawnin alternate wales 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. Thereafter a plain yarn 9 is knitted on all needles and is thus drawn into loops in all wales including the wales 2, 4, 6, l and intervening wales This completes the selvage course A and it is to be understood that the elastic yarn will contract as the fabric is released from the machine and will appear as though threaded through thel sinker wales in this initial course A.

Thereafter the elastic yarn is knitted on alternate needles in course B and the inelastic yarn 9 is taken by all needles in course C, knitting through the previously drawn elastic loops in course B, also through the intermediate loops of plain yarn in course A. The next course of elastic at D is again knitted on alternate needles and thereafter a course E is drawn from the yarn 9. Yarn for this course E is likewise taken in the hooks of all needles but is actually knitted in wales 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. at -that time. The intervening needles in wales 3, 5, 1, etc. are merely retaining their loops and tucking, eachA of the needles holding two loops, I0 and Il, at this time. Thereafter course F is knittedfrom the elastic as before and course G is knitted from the non-elastic yarn, at such time a third loop I2 being taken within the hooks of intervening needles. Each of those needles has in its hook three loops. One more course of elastic is knitted at H and then the following course I is drawn from the non-elastic yarn through the previously mentioned elastic loops in course H and also through the accumulated loops I0, Il and I2 on intervening needles. This completes the formation of one group of tuck courses.

Three loops have been herein shownas accumulated in the hooks of needles before being knitted off, but it is to be understood that tuck stitches may be knitted in which there are more or fewer accumulated loops. Likewise it is to be understood that after knitting the initial course A ofthe selvage, the elastic yarn might be knitted or otherwise incorporated on other thanevery second needle as herein shown. For example, these elastic loops or the spacing of the elastic walewise might occur at every third needle, every fourth needle, or at other intervals. The elastic courses B, D, F and H might be otherwise spaced so as to'have more than one plain yarn course between each elastic course.

In the particular' fabric herein illustrated, after the course I a similar group of tuck courses are knitted, then courses such as H and I whereupon a third group of tuck courses appears. 'l'his is merely illustrative of what may be done, it being quite within the purview of the invention to knit several courses between eachl group of tuck courses, these intermediate courses being knitted in accordance with whateverbasic scheme is being used to knit the simulated rib fabric. That herein employed is like the fabric shown in St. Pierre Patent l#2,131,720, but other types of simulated rib material may be knitted between these tuckfcourses or even plain courses without the elastic if so desired. 'Ihe tuck courses may be knitted over a considerable part of the whole top, or it may be found that one or two such groups will be sufficient. 'Ihis depends upon material used, the particular type of fabric being knitted as a base fabric, the tension in the elastic, and other factors.

Preferably this fabric is to be knitted on a two feed type machine having the usual mouthpiece and yarn. feeding means at which yarn 9 is to be fed, and in addition, an auxiliary feeding station at which elastic yarn will be fed. 'Ihis has been illustrated in St. Pierre Patent #2,131,720 and need not be disclosed in detail at this time. The tuck stitches are knitted at the main side at which yarn 9 is fed and preferably are to be knitted by control of the front stitch cam which will be withdrawn at such times as it is desired to tuck. At the auxiliary side needles which have taken elastic yarn and have knitted will pass up a raise cam or other cams such as employed in wrapping pattern threads, and just prior to reaching the -main yarn feed, needles knitting in wales 2, 4, 6, 8, etc., `will be raised by a special cam to a clearing position, while needles knitting in wales 3, 5, 1, etc., will be moved to a height sufficient for them to take yarn in their hooks but not to clear their latches of previously drawn loops. Since the front stitch cam is to be withdrawn during this tucking, itv will not perform its usual function of raising needles to a clearing position. As soon as tucking is to be stopped the front stitch cam will be moved in and thus all needles cleared at the main side as they 'pass up that cam whereupon they will take yarn and knit in the usual way.

Other means may be employed for controlling the knitting of these tuck stitches, the particular method or means employed for actually knitting such stitches not rbeing a material part of this case.

In Fig. 2 a conventional half hose is shown having a simulated rib top I3, a leg I4 and a foot I5 having the usual heel I6 and toe l1. In this simulated rib top there have been indicated three groups of tuck courses I8. I9 and 2U. In actual practice it has been found that three such groups of courses serve quite effectively to strengthen the edge'of the fabric, to 'prevent curling and to resist a tendency of the fabric to roll when worn.

The tuck loops in all of the groups have been conned to wales 3, 5, l, etc., but in certain instances these wales may be staggered, for instance, in the first course, stitches might be tucked in wales 3 and 1, whereas in the second group Wale 5 and other similarly disposed wales might be tucked so that the tuck stitches would alternate or be staggered in the fabric. If the elastic is fed at every third or fourth needle the intervening .wales may be tucked, or only one or some of them tucked. Generally speaking, as many tuck stitches may be knitted as can conveniently be made. It is the tuck stitches which tend to stiften or strengthen the fabric, and thus the general intent is toward incorporating as many of them as is practicable at the edge or adjacent the edge of the fabric. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A knitted stocking top having a selvage, a simulated rib fabric following said selvage wherein non-elastic yarn is knitted throughout the fabric and an elastic yarn knitted in spaced wales and in a plurality of courses, said non-elastic yarn being drawn into elongated tuck stitches in certain of the wales adjacent the selvagewherein said elastic yarn is not knitted the said tuck stitches being arranged in groups of spaced courses.

2. A knitted stocking top having a selvage in which elastic yarn is incorporated, following courses alternately knitted from a non-elastic and an elastic yarn, said elastic yarn being drawn into independent knitted loops in spaced wales and said non-elastic yarn being tucked over a plurality of courses in wales in which the elastic is not knitted, said tuck courses being arranged in groups adjacent the selvage.

3. A simulated rib knitted elastic stocking top having a selvage in which an elastic yarn is incorporated, following courses knitted from nonelastic and elastic yarn, the elastic yarn being knitted in alternate wales and the non-elastic yarn being drawn at all wales, but being tucked at wales in which the elastic is not knitted, these tuck courses being arranged in groups adjacent the selvage whereby the edge of the fabric is rendered resistant to curling and rolling.

4. A method of knitting an elastic stocking top to prevent curling or rolling including the steps of knitting a non-elastic yarn and an elastic yarn, the non-elastic yarn being drawn into loops at all wales and the elastic yarn being drawn into independently knitted loops at spaced wales only, the non-elastic yarn being tucked over a `plurality of separate 4but closely adjacent groups of courses in wales in which the elastic yarn is not knitted.

5. A simulated rib, knitted stocking topl having an elastic selvage and courses following that selvage formed of non-elastic and elastic yarns in which courses the elastic yarn is knitted to be held at spaced wales in which said non-elastic yarn is also knitted, said non-elastic yarn also being knitted to form separate and closely adjacent groups of tuck stitches in wales intermediate those in which the said elastic yarn is held.

6. A plain knitted stocking top having nonelastic yarn knitted at spaced wales and elastic yarn incorporated under tension to be held at said spaced wales and to draw them together when said elastic yarn is allowed to contract, a selvage, and adjacent that selvage, the said nonelastic yarn being formed into spaced groups of tuck stitches in wales intermediate those in which the elastic yarn is held so as to stiften the fabric thereby to prevent curling or rolling adjacent the said selvage.

'7. A plain knitted stocking top having a selvage, a base fabric knitted from a non-elastic yarn and an elastic yarn incorporated in said .base fabric to be held at spaced wales only in a plurality of courses, said non-elastic yarn being knitted into tuck stitches adjacent the selvage and in wales intermediate those in which the elastic yarn is incorporated to be held, said tuck stitches being arranged to form independent groups each of which is separated from the next by a course or courses in which there are no tuck stitches.

WILLIAM L. SMITH, Jn. 

